NCT00258752

Comparison of Three Therapy-Based Interventions for Preventing Depression in Adolescents

Prevention of Depression in Adolescents

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 57 (actual)
• Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 11 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will compare Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), IPT-AST plus parent involvement (Enhanced IPT-AST), and Usual Care for the prevention of adolescent depression.

Detailed description

Depression is a serious medical illness that is difficult to diagnose and treat, especially in children and adolescents. Signs of depression in children may include the following behaviors: pretending to be sick; refusing to go to school; clinging to a parent; or worrying that a parent may die. Older children may sulk, behave inappropriately at school, act in a negative or grouchy manner, or feel misunderstood. Because normal behaviors vary from one childhood stage to another, it can be difficult to determine whether a child is going through a temporary "phase" or is suffering from depression. This study will compare IPT-AST, Enhanced IPT-AST, and Usual Care for the prevention of adolescent depression. Participation in this single-blind study will last approximately 21 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either IPT-AST, Enhanced IPT-AST, or Usual Care for 12 weeks. IPT-AST is a school-based group intervention program that focuses on prevention, psychoeducation, and interpersonal skill-building. Enhanced IPT-AST will entail IPT-AST plus three parent-adolescent sessions. Usual Care will consist of standard treatments and will not include IPT-AST. Study visits will occur before and during the intervention at baseline and Weeks 6 and 12. Follow-up visits will occur 6, 12, and 18 months post-intervention. Study visit assessments will include depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychiatric diagnoses, overall functioning, social adjustment, parent-child conflict, perceived support from parents and peers, and service utilization.

Conditions

• Depression

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	IPT-AST	IPT-AST is a school based group treatment program that focuses on prevention, psychoeducation, and interpersonal skill building.
OTHER	Enhanced IPT-AST	Enhanced IPT-AST entails IPT-AST plus three parent-adolescent sessions.
OTHER	School counseling	Usual care consists of standard treatments, including individual counseling with guidance counselor.

Timeline

• Start date: 2005-11-01
• Primary completion: 2008-01-01
• Completion: 2009-06-01
• First posted: 2005-11-28
• Last updated: 2020-10-08

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States